Calling on NE Ohioans to support Kent State Golden Flashes football program: letter to the editor

News "Flash": Another Ohio college football team has won a division championship, and will play for a conference championship and a post-season bowl bid.

What, another team other than Ohio State University football -- in Ohio? You must be kidding! Well, it's true. Let's get Northeast Ohio out to support a local university this week at Kent State University's Dix Stadium and next week at Ford Field in Detroit.

Success for the Northeast Ohio economy is linked to its local universities in the form of enrollment, general economic activity, area university capital projects, related jobs and attracting local students, who can get the full college experience.

Cleveland Browns fans should also go to Kent this week and Detroit next week to support an area team and university that are doing it the right way, both academically and ethically.

Media should be giving Kent maximum coverage these next few days. There is good reason for local Northeast Ohio residents to sell out Dix Stadium tomorrow and Ford Field next week.

Obsession with all things OSU can take a break for an opportunity to focus on a financially undersupported program like Kent football, and thus, Kent the university, a World Top 200 university -- that's a top 2 percent or better university in the world.

Kent has been amazingly successful in all sports in the last decade-plus, often winning the MAC all-sports trophy. And now its football program, without the need to recruit academically and ethically challenged players, is succeeding on the field.

Kent's sports programs perform at the Ivy League level academically. That is well documented. For example, the baseball team's success in the College World Series, including knocking off the No. 1 team, was further highlighted by having the top level academic performance in the NCAA, with a team GPA average above 3.0 -- alongside Ivy League teams. Kent football players also have an average GPA above 3.0. It's a catchy thing, those high academic standards.

So let's also get Browns fans, who love Josh Cribbs, a Kent alumnus, to support Kent this week versus Ohio University and on Nov. 30 versus Northern Illinois University in Detroit. Make it happen, Northeast Ohio! Sell out Dix Stadium and Ford Field in honor of the Golden Flashes.

Kent sports has produced great NFL talent like Cribbs, James Harrison, Jack Lambert and Antonio Gates, but has struggled for team success. Head Coach Darrell Hazell has changed all that in only his second year at the helm.

Kent's success helps support Northeast opportunities for local student athletes. However, success includes the ability to fill stadiums and get good post-season bowl appearances.

Whether you are an alumnus of Kent or a resident of Northeast Ohio, this is your chance to reward a sound academic and ethical program in your region.

We need a "Flash" mob in both stadiums! You don't have to be a Kent alumnus to support Northeast Ohio institutions.

That goes for you, too, Big Dawg. Bring your spirit and the Dawg Pound to Dix and Ford fields! But leave the booze, bones and batteries at home, OK? Hey, it's college, man!

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